'American Idol' singer Julia Gagnon releases more Maine tour dates

Jun. 4—"American Idol" contestant Julia Gagnon's highly anticipated Maine tour will begin June 30 with a show in Portland at Merrill Auditorium.

Other stops will include the Liberty Festival in Lewiston (July 5), the Claws N' Country festival in Brunswick (July 21), The Grand in Ellsworth (Aug. 3) and the Theater at Monmouth (Aug. 6).

In the last couple weeks, the Cumberland singer announced a pair of shows July 26 and 27 at Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner as well as an appearance at the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls on July 13. Two of the concerts will feature fellow "American Idol" contestants, said Gagnon, who plans to release the full schedule this week.

Gagnon has been slowly releasing details about the tour, which she has said will include 15 to 20 shows in different parts of the state and is intended to serve as a thank-you to the thousands of Maine fans who supported and voted for her over a two-month run on "American Idol." That ended May 5 when she failed to advance to the top five contestants.

Gagnon said that fellow "Idol" contestant Ajii Haffez will join her at the Portland show as a special guest. The Brooklyn, New York-based singer made it to the show's top 15 contestants.

The tour will conclude later this summer with a show featuring another "Idol" contestant whose name is under wraps at the moment.

Gagnon said the band for the Portland show will feature members of local jazz and Americana acts. The set list will comprise "American Idol" covers, as well as some original tunes. Songs Gagnon sang on the show included Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain," Whitney Houston's "Run to You" and "Something Orange" by Zach Bryan.

Gagnon's favorite of the "Idol" tunes she performed was "Over the Rainbow."

"It felt like the most me," she said in an interview last week. "I felt a lot of discomfort in clothes that weren't really me, but I felt very comfortable in the outfit I was in that night, and it all came together to create a performance I was really proud of."

Gagnon also plans to perform this summer as a duo with her fiance and musical partner, Nate Haven, who plays acoustic guitar and sings backing vocals. Haven will be part of the Portland band.

Gagnon, who was among the top seven contestants on "American Idol," said that when her run on the show ended, it didn't feel like a loss. "I felt everything I had derived from the experience is still with me," she said.

Since returning home a few weeks ago, Gagnon has been working with her manager, Brian Root, on planning the Maine tour.

Although she won't be performing there, Gagnon said she was asked to be the grand marshal at the Yarmouth Clam Festival parade on July 19.

Gagnon will be releasing the single "Here in Maine" on June 30 under the name Julia, the duo with Haven. She shared a snippet of the demo version of the track on Instagram last week. Boats, pine trees, deer and firewood are all mentioned in the upbeat song.

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